Launching apparatus for boats.



No. 866,847. PATENTED SEPT. 24, 1907.

I G. DIGKBNSON.

LAUNG'HING APPARATUS FOR BOATS. Renown rum) 001229. 1900.

WITNES [NVENTOR rns NORRI: PETERS co., WASHINGTON, o, c

CHARLES DICKENSON, OF PORTLAND, OREGON.

LAUNCHING APPARATUS FOR BOATS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Sept. 24, 1907.

Application filed October 29, 1906. Serial No. 341,046-

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES DICKENSON, a citizen of the United States,residing at Portland, in the county of Multnomah and State of Oregon,have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Launching Apparatusfor Boats, of which the following is a specification.

Oombination cradle and chute for launching and floating self-rightingboats(open boats being impracticable for use with this device)which isoperated independently'of davits or tackle from the housedeck ofthevessel, when the crew and passengers are compelled to leave thedisabled vessel or ship. It is well known that it is almost impossibleto lower a boat from the davits when a heavy sea is running, as the boateither fills, capsizes, or swings against the vessel and is stove in. Byusing this chute (which will be more fully explained hereinafter) a boatcan be launched with its load of passengers with perfect safety withoutcoming in contact with the vessels side, as when the boat leaves thechute it gets a great momentum and strikes the water at some distancefrom the ship. 1902).

In the drawing hereunto annexed and forming part of this specification,Figure 1 is a view in perspective of the combined cradle and chute shownin position on the house-deck of a vessel or ship, near the edge of thesame; said cradle being held in place at each end by being lashed toring-bolts fastened to the house-deck.

The central part of the cradle is mounted on a block having a caster ateach end of the same, so, that if necessary the cradle can be moved fromplace to place, on the house-deck, as it often happens that a boatcannot be chutcd from the deck or lowered from davits at all from theweather side of the ship. Fig. 2 is a transverse sectional view partlyin elevation, showing the separable rotating support in elevation, andshowing one of the rollers between the keel-guides, which the keel ofthe boat rests on.

(See Patent No. 695,634, March 18,

swinging the cradle around so that one end of the cradle drops, thenknock out the end cross-rail which is in the way of the boat, and theboat will make a quick descent into the water.

Should a vessel be in a sinking condition and no time given to the crewto launch a boat before the vessel goes down, in that case the boatsetting snugly in the cradle, without being lashed to it, will float outof the cradle and remain on thesurface of the water; so that many of thecrew and passengers who are already struggling in the water find theseboats at hand to receive them, and prevents them from going down towatery graves.

Referring by numerals to the accompanying drawing, 1 designates the keelrest and guide which is com-, posed of two longitudinal bars, 2 and 3,in which are located six transverse rollers 4, which are journaled inthe longitudinal bars 2 and 3, whereon the keel of the boat rests. Alongthe upper edges on their inner faces of the bars 2 and 3, are insertedanti-friction rollers, 5, which bear against the outer opposite faces ofthe keel, and serve as guides, and also prevent the keel from coming incontact with the longitudinal bars 2 and 3 which would hinder the boatfrom shooting quickly into the water.

Transverse bars 6, four in number, and one, 13, a truck block, at themiddle, are let into recesses 6 in the lower edges of the twolongitudinal bars 2 and 3, and securely fastened thereto, and thesetransverse bars 6 are provided with standards 7 which project upwardlytherefrom and receive and support siderails 8 and 9. In the inner facesof said rails 8 and Q are inserted a series of friction rollers whichbear against the sides of the boat. The end cross-rails 11 and 12 areheld in their places by ordinary headbolts which are run loosely throughboth rails.

Fig. 2 shows the truck-block 13 in elevation; a cross section of thechute; and a cross-section of the bars 2 and 3, and, also, showing thetransverse rollers 4, upon which, when it is in place, the keel of theboat rests. 6 shows the joint-bolt, with the head and the nut secured tosaid bolt, the latter passing down through the house-deck, where it issecured in the house-deck. 7 shows the casters connected to andprojecting downwardly from the truck-block, in position to permit thetruck to be swung around on the house-deck.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim and desire tosecure by Letters-Patent, is-

A combined cradle and chute for launching a boat from the deck of aship, comprising a frame having a middle -p truck-block, mounted p aseparable pnecessary to release the boat from the cradle; substan- 10port, 01' block, provided with casters near its ends; a keeltially asspecified. V I

rest and guide extending normally lengthwise f the In testimony whereofI hove signed my name to this frame; p- Standardfi rising fromCross-rails at the specification in the presence of two subscribingwitnesses. bottom of said frame and supporting top-rails at the top ofsaid frame; anti-friction rollers in the inner faces of said CHARLESDICKENSON- top-rails and end-rails loosely secured to said top-rails at,Wltnesses 1 or near, their ends, to permit said endrails to be easilyand CHARLES WILLIAMS,

quickly knocked or forced from place when it becomes PAUL I. BASSEIT.

